Coal washer



March 27, 1934. 1A, MQNTGOMERY 1,952,277

COAL WASHER Filed Sept. 25, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 QW k H1 J 'I MH \l MJq@ l* SKU Q w INVENToR.

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J. A. MONTGOMERY COAL WASHER Filed sept. 25. 1929 March 27, 1934.

6 Sheets-Sheet 2 /1/1 x /r/A/ IMVILf/Am'l/AA A IN V EN TOR.

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March 27, 1934. 1 A, MQNTGOMERY 1,952,277

COAL WASHER Filed Sept. 25. 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 James' dm'yamef '/A/ M7 /f q ATTORNEYS.

March 27, 1934. J. A. MONTGOMERY COAL WASHER Filed sept. 25, 1929 6Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

March 27, 1934. J, A, MONTGQMERY 1,952,277

COAL WASHER Jwzef wangamezy BY 1d WTORNEYS.

March 27, 1934. J. A. MONTGOMERY 1,952,277

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Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES Aerrreur OFFICE coAL WASHERApplication September 25, 1929, Serial No. 395,081

1 Claim.

This invention relates to coal washers and has for an object to providean installation embodyingV new and improved elements and features whichshall more successfully wash and separate coal than such installationsas are now known.

A further object of the invention is to provide 'a coal washer having axed screen upon rand over which the coal and refuse material travel withunderlying piston for forcing water upwardly through the screen andcarried mass while preventing any return iiow or back lash.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved type ofpiston recipro-cating ver-v tically within a fixed chamber with a screenfixed 'within the chamber above the active element of the piston andwith means to check the" return iiow of water with the reciprocation ofthe piston.

A further object of the invention is to provide in combination with afixed screen and water impelling element an improved type ofrefusedischarge and control.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for controllingthe introduction of coal into and upon the screen from the reciprocationof the piston.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting theamount Yof refuse discharged as well as the operative point at whichinitiation of discharge is automatically effected.

A further object of the invention is to provide Yimproved means forcirculating the water impelled by the piston through a settling tank andto return so that the same water is employed over and over in carryingout the function of the machine. A'further object of the invention is toprovide improved means located within the path of travel of the waterfrom the settling tank to the piston chamber whereby iioating refuseorextraneous -matter is trapped.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved specific typesof water impelling piston in association with specific type ofinteracting screen.

With these and other objects in view, the inven- 'tion comprises certainnovel parts, elements, combinations, mechanical movements,constructions, interactions and functions, as disclosed in the drawings,together with mechanical and functional equivalents thereof, as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

.Figure l is a top vplan view of the improved Washer installation.

Figure 2 is a view of the mechanism principally in end elevation, partsof the chamber structure being broken away to disclose the mechanism,taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail View taken on Vline 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 4 4 ofFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 5 5 ofFigure 3.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the piston.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the screen, part of the screen fabricbeing broken away to show the supporting structure.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 8 8 of Figure 1.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

The improvedV coal washer which forms the subject matter of thisapplication comprises a frame l0 within and supported by which is apiston chamber comprising the side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14. Rigidlysecured to opposite side walls as the walls 11 and l2 are cross bars 15and 16 forming with the bars 17 and 18 a frame for the support of ascreen fabric 19. This screen fabric may be of any usual and ordinarytype, actually woven mesh screen Vor perforated sheet material, asutility and exigencies of use may make necessary and desirable.

The side bars 17 and 18 are spaced far enough away from the side walls13 and 14 to accommodate the opposite plates 20 and 21 of the piston.The piston is constructed as shown in perspective at Figure 6, having abottom 22 supported upon the necessary framework 23 which is all'rigidlyunited into an integral structure, as shown in the said Fig. 6. Thebottom 2 2 is provided with a plurality of flap valves 24 opening to anupward flow of water but closing to prevent any return flow. The upwardflow of water referred to may be only relative and may be, as in fact itis, actually stationary and the movement is that of the piston itselfdownwardly. A chamber under the piston is provided by means of aninclined partition or deck 25 which said deck is also provided with flapvalves 26 opening also to an upward iiow of water but checking anyreturn flow.

Beneath the deck 25 a chamber 27 is provided, to and into which waterows in the manner which will be hereinafter more fully described. Thechamber 27 below the deck 25 and the chamber 28 above the deck 25 arerespectively provided with manholes or clean-outs indicated at 29 and 36respectively. At the lower side of the inclination of the deck 25 is ascrew conveyor 31, which passes through the wall 13 and into a chamber32 formed by the wall 13 and a wall 33 spaced therefrom. This chamber 82is the refuse chamber and the conveyor 31 is intended to convey from thechamber 28 any matter which might accumulate therein. Within the chamber32 an elevator 84 is provided for removing the refuse from the chamber32. This refuse is discharged from the screen 19 onto a chute 35 whichis inclined as shown more particularly at Fig. 4 and discharges into thechamber 32.

To control the discharge of refuse from the screen 19 into the chute 35,a gate 36 is mounted to slide in guides carried by the -wall 12 with itslower margin only slightly raised above the screen 19. To operate thisgate 36, a rod 37 is connected with the gate and extends upwardly to alever 38. As shown in the drawings, two of these levers 38 and two ofthe rods 37 are employed with the levers mounted upon a shaft 39.

A second shaft 49 is journaled upon the frame 10 with a bell crank lever41 mounted thereon, one end of which is connected by a link 42 with thepiston at 43. From the opposite end of the bell crank lever 41 a rod 44extends to a lever 45 mounted to oscillate upon the shaft 39. The rod 44is not rigidly connected with the lever 45 but slides through a sleeve46, which sleeve is carried by the lever 45. A spring 47 is introducedbetween the sleeve 46 and a washer 48 with a nut 49 positioned to varythe tension of the spring 47. A screw 50 is pivotally connected at 51with the lever 45 and with the lever 38 at 52. A hand wheel 53 isemployed to vary the angle between the levers S8 and 45, making therebyan adjustable bell crank lever so that, as the lever 45 is oscillatedfrom the connection 43, the lever 38 is also oscillated to oscillate therefuse gate 86. This, of course, takes place only when the levers 38 and36 are interconnected which is brought about by means of a pawl 54fulcrumed upon the lever 45 and in position to engage an abutment 55upon the rod 44.

To actuate the pawl 54, a member which will be referred to as a float 56is employed. This oat, while preferably a hollow container, is not ofsuch specific gravity as to be lifted'by the water within the chamber.The float is provided with a stem 57 extending downwardly through thescreen 19 and with a conical or tapered bottom 58.

A stem 59 extends' upwardly, preferably in alignment with the stem 57,and is pivotally connected with a lever 69. The lever 60 is fulcrumed at61, and a link 62 is connected with the lever 60 opposite the pivotingof the stem' 59. The link 62 controls the pawl 54 as will be apparent,so that, as the float 56 rises, the pawl 54 is depressed. At Fig. 3where this is shown to best advantage, the pawl is shown asdisconnected, that is to say with the float at its lowermost limit, inwhich position the gate 86 will remain closed, as the reciprocation ofthe rod 44 is not transmitted to the lever 45.

The operation and function of these features will be more fullydescribed in the description of the operation of the entire structure.

Above the locale of the gate 36, a chute 68 is provided for the overflowof the washed coal which is discharged into the chamber 64. This chamber64 is provided with an elevator 65 of such screened or foraminousconstruction as to drain or de-water the coal which is raised by theelevator 65 to any point found necessary or desirable. The water raisedby the piston is discharged through this overflow 63 together with thewashed coal. Entering the chamber 64 the water ows into the settlingtank or chamber 66, which said chamber 66 is provided withone or morescrew conveyors 67 so that the fines or small particles of fuel carriedby the movement of the water beyond the elevator 65 is returned by thescrew conveyors 67 into the elevator chamber 64 to be raised by suchelevator along with the other fuel.

At the end of the settling chamber 66, opposite the elevator 65, atrough 68 is provided adjacent the top of such chamber, a wall 68a (seeFig. 8) being of such height as to prevent the water flowing from thesettling chamber 66 into the trough, necessitating the flow of the waterunder the trough, as indicated at Fig. 8 over the side wall 69. Thisarrangement prevents any floating material from passing into the trough68. The trough 68 is continued by a trough 70 about the side of saidsettling chamber and discharges into the chamber 71 which is incommunication with the chamber 27. The water, therefore, flowscontinuously about the circuit through the settling chamber 66, thetroughs 68 and 70, cham.- ber 71 and return to the chamber 27 under theinclined deck 25 to be lifted by the piston.

To operate the piston and provide for the flow of water just referredto, a drive shaft 72 is journaled upon the frame l() having any meansfor receiving power, as the pulley 73 and carrying a pinion 74intergeared with a gear 75 upon the shaft 76, which is also journaledupon the frame 10. The shaft 76 carries eccentrics 77, preferably ofadjustable type, although the specinc type of eccentric does not enterinto -the present invention. The eccentrics 77 operate the connectingrods 78 which are pivotally connected to the cross bar 79 extendingbetween the side walls 20 and 21 of the piston.

Located above the screen 19 opposite the overflow 63 is a feed box 80with a coal chute 81 positioned to discharge into said feed box. Thecoal chute 81 is connected with any source of supply, indicated by thehopper 82, with a sliding gate 83 interrupting the flow of coal throughsaid chute. This gate 83 is connected by means o f a link 84 (see Fig.2) with a bell crank lever .8.5 fulcrumed upon the frame 10. A cable 86extends from the bell crank lever 8.5 over a pulley 87 to a lever 88.This lever 88 is connected at one end with the connecting rod 78 bymeans of a link 89 pivoted to a collar 90 carried by said connectingrod, and at its opposite end has a manual means 91 for adjusting thethrow.

In operation, coal from the supply, indicated at 82, is admitted throughthe chute 81 to the feed box from which it drops onto the screen 19 atits upper end. The piston is reciprocated beneath the screen, liftingwater through the valves 26 of the deck 25 and forcing it upwardlythrough the screen 19. Upon thereturn movement of the piston, the valves26 close and the valves 24 open whereby the piston passes downwardlythrough the trapped water, the water remaining during this movementsubstantially at rest. It will be seen, therefore, that the movement ofthe water is wholly upwardly through the screen and no return movementor back lash is permitted by this arrangement. The water passingupwardly through the screen lifts the material upon the screen, whichconsists of coal and refuse, such as slate. The slate being heavier thanthe coal, the agitation provided by the movementI of the Water separatesthe material of lighter specific gravity from that of heavier specificgravity, stratifying the material upon the screen. The inclination ofthe screen and the feeding of coal through the feed box tends to movethe coal from the position of the feed box to the position of theoverflow 63 and the refuse gate 36.

As the material upon the screen becomes stratified, the refuse gate 36is opened to permit the discharge of refuse therefrom while at the sametime the lighter material or coal is discharged over and upon the chute63 and into the elevator chamber. The water lifted by the piston isdischarged over and upon this chute 63 With the coal, it beingunderstood that, when the refuse gate 36 is opened, refuse only but noWater is discharged therethrough owing to the head in chamber 32. Tocontrol the properdischarge of the refuse, the hand Wheel 53 is adjustedto give proper opening to gate 36. The conical or tapered bottom 58 ofthe float is an important feature as the material under the float,consisting of slate and other refuse material, agitated by the risingwater tends to move under this conical bottom and to lift the float withthe rise of the surface of the refuse material. The adjustment providedby the hand wheel 53 is for variations in the amount of refuse comparedto the amount of coal which is determined by the operator in observingthe relative discharges through the refuse gate 36 and the chute 63.

As has been explained, the coal discharged through the chute 63 israised by the elevator 65 and drained by its water and discharged intosuch receiving receptacle as may be provided. The Water ows from theelevator chamber 64 into the settling'chamber 66 which, being of largecapacity, provides for a very slow movement of the Water and thereforeprovides for settling of the fine fuels which are returned by the Worms67 to the elevator chamber. Y

The flow of coal into the feed box 80 is regulated by the gate 83, theadjustment of the lever 88 providing for admitting more or less coal byproviding a greater or less throw of the gate under the actuation of theconnecting rod 78. The reciprocation of this gate 83 through thestructure disclosed provides for keeping the passage clear so that theflow is unobstructed but, at the same time, is regulated to suchcapacity as the installation may easily carey for.

What I claim to be new is:

In a coal wash-ing organization, a screen chamber, a screen structurespanning said screen chamber and rigidly attached to some of its Walls,a pistonmounted beneath the screen, means to reciprocate the pistonvertically within the chamber, valved mechanisms associated with thepiston tending to control the flow of fluid intermittently upwardly onlyin consonance with the rise of the piston, an elevator chamber locatedadjacent said screen chamber, an yoverflow from the screen chamber intothe elevator chamber above the plane of the screen, a settling chamberin communication with the elevator chamber, means within the settlingchamber comprising a screw conveyor for returning solids to the elevatorchamber, and a conduit from said settling chamber returning fluid tosaid screen chamber.

JAMES A. MONTGOMERY.

